Apart from their assigned mod courses, 1L students may only enroll in courses offered as 1L electives. A complete list of these courses can be found on the 1L Elective Listings page. 1L students must use the 1L class number listed on the course description when enrolling.
246.1 sec. 001 - Criminal Trial Practice (Spring 2027)
Instructor: Charles M Denton (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only | profile)
View all teaching evaluations for this course - degree students only
Units: 3
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meetings:
W 6:25 PM - 9:05 PM
Location: Law 140
From January 13, 2027
To April 21, 2027
SaSu 09:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Location: Law 140
From April 24, 2027
To April 25, 2027
Course End: April 25, 2027
Class Number: 32455
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 0
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 16
As of: 11/03 05:05 PM
This course focuses on the courtroom application of criminal law principles and practices. Students will prepare and present opening statements, direct and cross-examination, documentary and demonstrative evidence, and closing arguments. Time permitting, they will also gain a practical understanding of common issues in criminal law, including bail, preliminary hearings, ethics and misconduct, and motions to suppress.
The format will be hands-on and participatory, and the emphasis will be on learning practical techniques for shaping the evidence, using the law, and exploiting the courtroom to create a coherent and convincing case theory. All performances will be videotaped and the course will culminate in a half-day jury trial. The final trials will take place on Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25.
Class enrollment will be determined by the beginning of the second class meeting. Therefore, all students interested in enrollment should be present for both the first and second classes.
Instructor Biography: Charles Denton is in his 44th year as an attorney with the Alameda County Public Defender's Office. Nearly all of that time has been spent in the courtroom. He has litigated hundreds of motions and hearings and has tried nearly every kind of criminal case -- from drunk driving to the death penalty. He is one of the most prolific lecturers on trial practice and criminal litigation in the state and a well-recognized expert on criminal law and procedure. He is the author of Criminal Defense Jury Instructions: California Criminal Jury Charges. For nearly a decade, he was one of the principal authors of California Continuing Education of the Bar's Recent Developments in Criminal Law Practice. He was also one of the original authors of their California Criminal Law: Procedure and Practice manual and is a current author of their California Sentencing Enhancements handbook. His written manuals and practice guides are highly acclaimed and have been widely published. He co-directs the training curriculum for the California Public Defender’s Association (CPDA) and is one its past presidents. In 2020, he was named the “Defender of the Year” by that organization. This is Denton's 30th year teaching at Berkeley Law. He is a Christopher Edley Jr. Lecturer at Law.
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Requirements Satisfaction:
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Exam Notes: (T) Final practice trial or arguments
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Course Category: Simulation Courses
This course is listed in the following sub-categories:
Criminal Law
Social Justice and Public Interest
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Class materials may also be available on bCourses.berkeley.edu
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